"Hey guys, next time -- how about a friggin heads-up?"

Sure, after 23 wins in a row, Rick's group was clearly over-confident -- they basically thought they were Special Ops, and could out-class and out-shoot any opponent. Even with a proper warning from Hilltop, it's very possible Rick would've said something like "We've dealt with their kind before. We can handle it."

But really, at some point, you'd think Hilltop would say "Ummmm, they've got hundreds of blood-thirsty men, they're well-organized & well-equipped, and they've got strong leadership. Before you get gung-ho, maybe you should gather some intelligence?"

But nope -- instead, Hilltop played dumb.